1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a construction of a door in a motor vehicle, and more particularly to a construction of a lower part thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a motor vehicle, a stepped portion of a rocker panel extending along each of side edges of a vehicle floor is apt to be soiled with dust and muddy water entering from a space between a lower edge of a vehicle door and the rocker panel. In order to prevent this entrance of dust and muddy water, it has been proposed to mount a seal member along a lower edge of a vehicle door so that an end thereof is brought into contact with the rocker panel when the door is closed(German Patent Nos. 2507204 and 2945836).
Meanwhile, recently, motor vehicles, each being provided with a broad moulding-shaped cover plate 3 as shown in FIG. 7, have been increased for preventing an outer surface of a lower portion of a door outer panel 11 from being injured by pebbles spattered by tires. This cover plate 3 is generally attached to the outer surface of the lower portion of the door outer panel 11 by clips 5 in the central portion in the widthwise direction of the cover plate 3 at predetermined intervals in a longitudinal direction thereof. In FIG. 7, the reference numeral 2 designates a rocker panel.
However, while the motor vehicle is running or when the door is closed, this cover plate vibrates in its lower end portion. In particular, when the door is forcefully closed or the motor vehicle is running on a rough road, the cover plate 3 has a problem of generating undesirable vibration noise. Moreover, in the case of a lower edge of the cover plate 3 being positioned adjacently to the opposed door outer panel 11, there occurs a problem that the vibrating lower edge of the cover plate 2 interferes with the door outer panel 11 to injure the coating of the door outer panel 11 an incur the generation of rust when the lower edge of the cover plate 3 is attached close to the door outer panel 11 at a distance smaller than a predetermined distance due to the scattering in attaching of the cover plate 3.